You Can't Hide From Time
by MyShadowsThorn
Summary: Changed to oneshot with Russell and Cecilia.


Author's note:

Ok well...I finally started a story. It's my first fanfic ever so... please "attempt" to be nice :D

It's based on Rune Factory: A Harvest Moon Fantasy and well basically I want the story to be about a girl who comes to Kardia (instead of the boy in the game) and falls for the overprotective (but highly sweet and opinionated) Liberian. (whose name will not be mentioned until the end by the way)

The whole story will turn into a series of happy events but I wanted to try and show off how the man meets his daughter and forms a bond with her. It seemed important to add it since it will help set up the other chaps. So...the prologue below might seem kinda sad.

Oh and one last thing I wanted to mention was um...oh yeah I was really bored and supposedly studying for a vocab test so...long story short I ended up including my vocab words in my story so it might seem a bit overly descriptive and wordy but I successively included ALLLLL of them and got an A on the test...few ... so I'm happy :)

Disclaimer: Well...as you guessed...I don't own harvest moon

**PROLOGUE: **

**THE ROAD TO KARDIA **

A tall young soldier flipped the sheathed Defender's halter strap over his right shoulder and stared blankly across the Sech Empire's retreating Crystal Ocean. It's rippling planes cast a sparkly light show that glimmered off the coast.

He stood alone on it's desolate Sea shore. Salty sprays found their way onto his lips as he thought about the past and his approaching return to Kardia, his hometown, now that the war had finally ended. The man then took some time to take in the nearby surroundings. Noridian beach this Winter appeared to be offering a majestic joy for his gaze.

Off in the distance, only a sliver of a retiring sunset could be seen. It was still splashed in a hint of baby pink and periwinkle that gently caressed the distant sky.

As the sunset fully descended and disappeared from view, a widespread of darkness claimed more of the horizon with each passing moment. The approaching moon grew brighter. It glowed at only a piece of it's glory, but it's crescent light silhouetted the man's broad figure beautifully. Perfectly accenting it was a cascading hooded robe tinted with waves of gold. The plum robe fluttered loosely to one side in the breeze, but managed to create a shield from the icy winds.  
Flabby sleeves that clung onto the robe created good cradles for his raw frostbitten fingers. Small, rough, tan boots were snuggled on his rather unsteady feet.

The soldier exhaled again. He was still in the same spot waiting impatiently for a long over due messenger. His mouth curled up sideways in annoyance.  
Having to bide his time ate away at his unruffled serenity. Especially when the outcome of someone special to him remained hidden.

His whole future rode on the way mere lines were arranged in a late letter. Would they create the words he longed to hear or would they create unseen hands that could emerge from the paper and use their clammy touch to rip away his aspirations. He hoped that he was just being over dramatic when such gruesome thoughts entered his mind. Being very pragmatic, the man usually didn't like adding in abstract thoughts to what he considered to be a very technical situation.

This Erudite man hated the unknown. Things that could not be learned just by picking up a book. Things yet to come.

One day he hoped to surround himself with books. True hard facts and stories that recreated life, history, knowledge that he held dear. The solider did enjoy fighting to keep his country safe, but he was a pretty tranquil guy. Books were his passion, quiet library nooks, his sanctuary.

The man let a long sigh escape him. Tension was high in the air. Shifting his weight uneasily onto his right foot, he meticulously glanced around the empty beach. Bending his neck slightly, he reached his arm up and began rubbing his throbbing forehead.

The young soldier's pithy insights eventually turned into daydreams as he reminisced about his lover, lost during the two year war. Her name had been Lianya. She was the one who had managed to create a mist of love around his soul. Each day the veil had grown thicker, denser, heavier. It's weight would soon come to smother him, constrict him and bare down when he had heard the news that his treasured Elven nurse was no loner of living flesh. Her sweet country accent had been the choir that filled his passionate spirit when he had first entered the ranks of Kardia's calvary.

They had grown close ever since that first night when he had been admitted into the infirmary for a broken wrist. Her eyes were large Chartreuse emeralds that had instantly grabbed and demanded his attention. They had both just started out as good friends though. He would visit her whenever the squad of nurses came around. It all started with small talk. Both would occasionally drabble on about the weather or maybe the fact that they hoped the war would soon come to an end. Later on it evolved into bigger things.

Lianya loved knowledge and reading. The soldier had caught her looking up information about the cursed stone once when he had come in for one of his checkups. That was what instantly sparked a strong bond and connection between the two. She would sit and discuss many things with him after learning of their common interest in knowledge. Over time...they grew closer and ultimately, became lovers. Their time spent together had been precious.

The man had spent many months grieving when he heard she had died while he was away on an infiltration mission. Lianya's kind nature had shown true to the end when she had run onto a battlefield to rescue her young child who had wandered out there unaware of the danger. A bullet had hit her. Using her last breaths, she had clutched her wound and managed to coax and her deliver the daughter to a commander who had gotten the girl to safety. The mother could not be saved though.

That small child is named Cecilia. It was Cecilia's fate that was currently troubling the man. Even though she had not been his own daughter, he had become a sort of father figure to the one year old for a short time and he had helped to raise her lovingly alongside Lianya. He now wanted to adopt her. Take her back to Kardia with him so they could start anew. He felt he owed it to not just himself but also to Lianya and Cecilia. Lianya because she had sacrificed her life in order for her daughter to live her's. He wanted to make sure her bravery had not been in vain. Cecilia, who went through the horrible trauma of seeing her dying mother and having no idea what happened to her or where she went, needed a familiar face. Someone to be there and console her.

Footsteps treaded lightly near him. They were almost undetectable. Their sound got muffled under the soft dunes of sand blanketing the shore.

A strong grip embraced the soldier's shoulder. Flinching back a little, he snapped into the reality around him and turned his head anxiously to see if the messenger had at last shown up. Polar blue eyes connected with his. The owner was a huge husky guy decked out in a large puffy red coat and white baggy pants splattered with cinders. His nose was a rosy shade where the cold had nipped away at him.

The blue eyed man glared at him from under his red snow cap with the white cotton ball on top. A few black strands of his hair poked out uneasily from underneath. He reached out a White glove to shove a small letter, whose envolope read "**Russell**", into awaiting hands. The messenger then crudely introduced himself as Frank and gruffly stepped back a few paces to give the man some sense of privacy.

Tentatively, our young soldier lifted his numb hand to unfold the first letter. Even in this bitter temperature, sweat began to roll down the sides of his face. He could feel his heart beating frantically, a threat that it might just jump out of his body. Shakily the paper was opened. It's rustling sound filled the void of what seemed to be a loud silence. Slowly, the man allowed his eyes to make contact with the letter. He read it silently to himself.

_Dear Mr. Halcyon,_

_Your adoption papers have been signed and approved. I trust you will find that a copy of your certificate waiting for you at your abode upon your return to Kardia. Cecilia had no living relatives so we were relieved at the fact that one of our brave soldiers will be providing her with a good stable home. Please write the agency if you encounter any problems or errors with the paperwork. Cecilia is currently being escorted to our agreed meeting area at Noridian beach. Please await her arrival_

_Memoirs agency._

_Lilliand Island_

With shining eyes, the man looked up from the letter and glanced at Frank. Right on que, the messenger raised one of his ivory mitts and motioned to a man concealed over by some foliage near the narrow beach entrance. In his arms, the second man held a small girl who he handed off to Frank. She was about two in age with soft flowing peachy colored locks. Her green olive eyes were little jewels that added to her cute, radiant look. She was adorable. Better yet, she was the exact image of her mother.

"Oh Cecilia" the man whispered. His voice choking and eyes starting to water.

He tilted his chin down to meet his chest. Dark maroon strands of hair fell into gold eyes where tears could no longer be cajoled from falling. It almost pained him that Cecilia looked just like her mother. It had not been so apparent last time he had seen her.

Recovering from a brief breakdown, the man sent out a noisy sniffle while attempting to dry his moist face with a faded handekerchief he had fathomed from his pocket. Cecilia was the one who needed him now. So he quickly averted his attention back to her.

The soldier hesitantly pattered over to Frank with outstretched arms. Frank moved the girl into them, uniting solider and child.

Cecilia looked over at the man who now held her. She examined him for a long moment. After a timely pause, her mouth exploded in a grin. She cooed happily, her face lit up with delight.

"Waady?" she questioned happily.

The man said nothing. He just brought her into a hug, his eyes glowing with incredulous joy.

"Yaaayyy Waady!" She squeaked happily.

"Well, Russell Halcyon, it seems you have a new daughter." Stated Frank.

Both him and the other messenger smiled broadly at the sight of a father and his new daughter.

The future looked bright.

Russell placed Cecilia down onto the sand. He shot her a smile and clasped his hand into hers. Together, they set off down the road to Kardia.


End file.
